(Welcome to Movie Mixtape, where we find cinematic relatives and seek out interesting connections between new releases and older movies that allow us to rethink and enjoy what’s in our theaters as well as the favorites on our shelf. In this edition: Logan Lucky.)

Steven Soderbergh is back from an inactive hiatus where he limited his filmmaking involvement to Ocean’s Eight, the TV movie Mosaic, The Girlfriend Experience, Godless, Red Oaks, Magic Mike XXL, Citizenfour, and Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. It’s unclear if he painted anything during that time.

His first feature since Side Effects in 2013, Soderbergh has teamed again with Channing Tatum for the NASCAR heist flick Logan Lucky. Tatum and Adam Driver play drivers attempting to knock over the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600. (Look out for newcomer Daniel Craig as Joe Bang!)

Do you need to have seen the other Wolverine movies to get Logan Lucky? No clue, but here are six films to check out alongside Soderbergh’s latest caper.

Every month, we write about which movies and shows are coming to Netflix and which movies and shows are leaving and it often feels like more great stuff is leaving than arriving. Then a month like July 2016 arrive and restores your faith in the world’s most popular streaming service. This is a strong batch of entertainment and if you’re already looking for ways to occupy yourself next month, you have plenty of options. We have a batch of recommendations and everything.

Universal and Paramount are both celebrating their centennial anniversary in 2012, and like Paramount, Universal is debuting a new logo to mark the occasion. That logo will bow on March 2 in front of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and be on all Universal films going forward.

The studio is doing something much better than that, however. A press release announces that Universal will also restore thirteen classic films this year. The films are: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds, Buck Privates, Dracula (1931), Dracula (Spanish, 1931), Frankenstein, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Out of Africa, Pillow Talk, Bride of Frankenstein, The Sting and To Kill a Mockingbird. Precise details of the restorations are yet to be revealed.

Many of those will hit Blu-ray, starting with To Kill a Mockingbird this month; Jaws and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial will follow, with 2012 finishing off with Blu-ray releases of Universal’s classic monster lineup and Alfred Hitchcock films. The full press release is below. Read More »